Later today, the Impossible Burger will make its nationwide campus debut at the University of Chicago’s Quantum Café. Later this year, it will debut at the Tiffin Café at the University of Chicago’s International House. Both restaurants are operated by Bon Appétit Management Company, the acclaimed sustainable foodservice pioneer that runs more than 1,000 cafés for universities, corporations, and museums in 33 states.

In addition to the University of Chicago, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Bon Appétit will also serve the Impossible Burger in the headquarters of several San Francisco Bay Area companies.

The New York-based hospitality company Restaurant Associates, a subsidiary of leading foodservice organization Compass Group North America, will serve the Impossible Burger at its clients’ dining halls on the East Coast. Restaurant Associates provides premium food services to more than 160 prestigious locations, including museums, performing arts centers, aquariums, corporate dining, and educational facilities.

“Impossible fans love to order the burger at their favorite restaurants -- and with the average American eating burgers three times per week, more and more people want to enjoy the Impossible Burger at work or on campus,” said Impossible Foods’ Chief Operations Officer and Chief Finance Officer David Lee, who oversees sales. “We’re now open for business with universities, companies and other institutions focused on providing sustainable, nutritious and delicious food to their patrons.”

Impossible Burger: in restaurants coast to coast -- and a tailgate near you!

Launched one year ago in a handful of top restaurants in New York and California, the Impossible Burger is becoming one of the hottest menu items in respected establishments from Boston to Los Angeles.

The burger is now served in more than 100 restaurants coast to coast, including beloved “better burger” concepts Bareburger, Umami Burger, Hopdoddy, The Counter, Fatburger and B Spot, owned by Chef Michael Symon. Click here for a full list of restaurants serving the Impossible Burger.

To launch food service sales, Impossible Foods is hosting a unique mobile tasting experience -- starting Saturday at Northwestern University’s homecoming game. On Sunday, the experience moves to Chicago’s Soldier Field -- and then it goes to Ann Arbor, Mich., Boston, Denver and more.

For a free taste of the Impossible Burger on campus in Evanston, at Soldier Field or another upcoming Impossible Tailgate Party, follow Impossible Foods on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. To bring the Impossible Burger to your school or company dining hall, or to discuss other “non-commercial” or wholesale clients beyond restaurants, send an email to hello@impossiblefoods.com.

Big taste, small footprint

In development since 2011, the Impossible Burger is the world's only burger that handles, smells, cooks and tastes like ground beef from cows -- but is made entirely from plants. The Impossible Burger, which debuted in July 2016 at Chef David Chang’s Momofuku Nishi in Manhattan, won a Tasty Award for best food startup just last month.

The Impossible Burger is produced without hormones, antibiotics, cholesterol or artificial flavors. It uses about 75% less water, generates about 87% fewer greenhouse gases, and requires around 95% less land than conventional ground beef from cows.

The Impossible Burger is made from simple ingredients found in nature, including water, wheat, coconut oil and potatoes. One special ingredient -- heme -- contributes to the characteristic taste of meat and catalyzes all the other flavors when meat is cooked. Impossible Foods discovered how to get heme from plants, transforming the Impossible Burger into a carnivore’s delight that’s light on the planet.

Impossible Foods launched production in September at its first large-scale manufacturing plant, in Oakland, Calif. As the Oakland plant ramps up over the next several quarters, Impossible Foods will expand distribution to even more restaurants -- as well as universities and corporate dining halls. To learn more about Impossible Foods’ plant in Oakland, watch this video.

After the Oakland plant is fully ramped up, Impossible Foods plans to launch retail sales. The company is also developing additional plant-based meat and dairy products.